Use Case Identification: Finding the Right Processes for AI Automation
Overview
Choosing the right first use case often determines the success or failure of your entire AI automation project. This guide shows you a systematic approach to identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing automation candidates.
What you’ll learn:
- Use Case Identification Framework
- The 4 dimensions of evaluation
- 20+ screening questions
- Scoring model for prioritization
- Common traps (anti-patterns)
- 15 proven use cases with ROI
Why Use Case Selection Is Critical
A false start can permanently damage trust in the technology across the entire company.
Mistake 1: Too complex
"We’ll automate the entire back office at once!"
12 months later: Nothing works.
Mistake 2: Too trivial
"We’ll automate email signatures!"
The "Nobody cares, AI is useless" narrative.
Mistake 3: Wrong department
"The CEO wants us to start in his area"
Sponsor has no time for feedback, the project dies.
The Formula for the Perfect First Use Case
(High Value × Feasibility × Support)
÷ Implementation Time
The Use Case Identification Framework
Phase 1: Discovery (Weeks 1-2)
Goal: Create a long list of 20-30 potential use cases.
1. Stakeholder Interviews
Interview 5-8 people (ops, team leads, execs).
- • "What are your 3 most time-consuming tasks?"
- • "Which tasks get avoided?"
- • "Where do most errors happen?"
- • "What could an assistant do for you?"
2. Process Mining
Analysis of ticketing data, email volume, and CRM/ERP logs.
3. Shadow Days
Observing daily repetitions and search processes within the team.
Phase 2: Screening (Weeks 2-3)
Goal: Filter from 20-30 down to a shortlist of 8-10 use cases.
Quick screening questions (yes/no):
- Repetitive process?
- High volume (>100/month)?
- Documentation available?
- Not highly critical (errors OK)?
- Data digitally available?
- Genuine user interest?
Rule of thumb: 5+ "yes" = keep for detailed evaluation.
Detailed Evaluation: The 4 Dimensions
Dimension 1: Business Value (0-40 pts)
3.1 Time savings example
40h/week × €63/h × 0.70 × 52w = €91,728 / year
3.2 Error reduction example
140 fewer errors/month × €100/error = €168,000 / year
Dimension 2: Feasibility (0-40 pts)
Dimension 3: Implementation Risk (0-20 pts)
Criticality
What happens with 5% hallucination? Reversible = less risk.
Org Support
Resistance from the team or unions?
Dimension 4: Time to Value (0-10 pts)
< 8 weeks (10 pts)
8-12 weeks (7 pts)
12-20 weeks (4 pts)
Prioritization Matrix
Quick Wins
Use Case 1 (Months 1-3)
Slow Wins
Optional
Major Projects
Use Case 2 & 3
Avoid
Roadmap Strategy
- UC1: Quick win (proves value fast, builds trust).
- UC2: Moderate complexity (bigger impact, uses learnings from UC1).
- UC3: Major project (high strategic value, the team now has operational experience).
15 Proven Use Cases with Real Data
Back Office
Invoice processing
€99k/year (2 FTE), 85% automated, ROI 4m
Score
95/110
Back Office
Data entry automation
€89k/year (1.5 FTE), 95% automated, ROI 3m
Score
92/110
Customer Service
First-level support automation
€182k/year (3 FTE), 70% resolution rate, ROI 4m
Score
94/110
Knowledge Management
Document search (RAG)
€136k/year (20 users), 98% time savings, ROI 4m
Score
89/110
Sales
Lead qualification agent
3x more qualified meetings, €50k savings, ROI 6m
Score
87/110
Back Office
Email triage & routing
€46k/year (1 FTE), 90% accuracy, ROI 4m
Score
88/110
Customer Service
FAQ bot with RAG
60-70% resolution rate, infinitely scalable
Score
82/110
Customer Service
Returns processing
€65k/year, 80% automatic approval, ROI 5m
Score
86/110
Knowledge Management
Contract analysis
85% extraction, 100% faster, risk reduction
Score
78/110
Knowledge Management
Meeting minutes & action items
€32k/year + better follow-up quality
Score
75/110
Sales
Personalized cold outreach
2x response rate, €80k pipeline growth
Score
73/110
Sales
Content generation
€24k/year + 5x higher output frequency
Score
70/110
HR & Operations
Applicant screening
€18k/year + 40% faster time-to-hire
Score
72/110
HR & Operations
Employee onboarding bot
€12k/year + higher employee retention
Score
68/110
HR & Operations
Expense report auditing
€15k/year + 100% compliance check
Score
65/110
Anti-Patterns: What You Should NOT Automate
Highly variable processes
"Every case is completely unique." No patterns = no LLM training possible.
Extremely rare tasks
"We do this 3x a year." The ROI will never be positive.
Critical without a safety net
"Fully automated banking limits." Errors = disaster.
No digital data
"Everything is on paper." Digitize first, then automate.
Strong resistance
"The team doesn’t want this." The risk of sabotage is too high.
No success measurement
"No baseline available." Success cannot be proven.
Proof of Concept Planning
What NOT to include in the PoC
- - Perfect brand UI / design
- - All edge cases (focus on the happy path)
- - Production-grade infra (K8s)
- - Full ERP/CRM integration
Success Criteria (4-6 weeks)
- - Accuracy: > 85% in extraction
- - Speed: < 5s response time
- - Sentiment: > 70% user approval
- - Time-Save: Measurable reduction vs. baseline
Go/No-Go Decision Logic
// IF (Positive Result)
- - All quantitative metrics achieved
- - > 2/3 of qualitative metrics positive
- RESULT: Full Rollout
// ELSE
- - Metrics not stable
- - ROI impact too low
- RESULT: Iterate or Stop
Stakeholder Management
Champions
Actively promote. Give lots of feedback.
Supporters
Positive & passive. Use it once it’s ready.
Neutrals
Wait and see. Convince them with numbers.
Blockers
Active resistance. Take their concerns seriously.
Communication Plan
"Without executive sponsorship, even technically perfect projects fail. Engaged users are the key: when the team truly wants it, they find ways to make the AI productive."
Implementation Checklist
Discovery: 20-30 candidates identified?
Quick screen: Narrowed down to 8-10 plausible cases?
Detailed scoring: All 4 dimensions evaluated?
Workshop: Stakeholder consensus reached?
Top 3 selected: Quick win before big bang?
One-pager: Goals, ROI & scope documented?
PoC planning: 4-6 weeks, clear KPIs?
Stakeholder plan: Weekly updates established?
Ready for the next step?
Talk to our team about practical use cases, potential and implementation within your existing infrastructure.